The academic year 2024-25 is all set to begin on 1 April 2024, with excitement among students for new books, new clothes, new bags, and new fees. Let’s crack the code of this NEW scenario.

New books – Despite the fact that all schools affiliated with the CBSE board are required to use the NCERT syllabus, schools are partnering with private publishers to package and present the NCERT syllabus in a new format and appearance. All the new session books from sixth class onwards are following the NEP 2020 guidelines but with their own publishers. Why? Aren’t NCERT books available? Are parents earning more money to pay extra for the same content in a different appearance? This market has yet to be decoded.

According to some sources, there are fewer NCERT books available in the market compared to the number of students. To bridge this gap and ensure availability, schools have devised a new approach by publishing their own set of books aligned with the new NEP 2022 syllabus.

While this initiative is considered to be a positive step taken by the schools, the prices of these books have become a problem for parents.

New Dress: So far, so good. This is one of the principles schools are not changing every year.

New Fees: This is something that concerns every parent. The Noida authority is one of the richest civic bodies in the country and strictest among all the authorities. When it decides on something, the entire state has to follow those rules. School fees are one of the areas of concern where the UP government has to intervene in a big way. “It is fine to increase fees every year, but there should be a limit. It is not like a rented house where the tenant has to increase by a minimum of 10 per cent every year,” said one of the parents in Noida.

Another parents who doesn’t wanted to be name said, “we are fine with the fee hike but where is the quality education? We are still lacking in the best education at such a high cost. The fees is increasing every year but not the quality of education. Or are they paying teachers as per 7th pay commission?

Opportunities For Online Schooling

The continuous increase in fees has paved the way for online schools. Since COVID-19 forced us to adopt new methods in the education sector, it has also made home schooling possible.

Online courses are legally recognised in India by the UGC, granted they adhere to the standards set by the UGC, NAAC, AICTE, DEC, and NBA. These courses offer students the chance to pursue their studies without the necessity of attending a physical classroom.

In comparison to brick-and-mortar schools, online programmes typically have lower tuition fees and fewer extra costs like transportation, housing, and textbooks.